What is gamification and how will it affect enterprise apps?

User-friendliness has served as a driving force behind the popularity of enterprise mobility. Employees are flocking to tablet computers, smartphones and other mobile devices because of their ease-of-use and the overall enjoyable experience. And that is starting to creep into the design and development of mobile applications.

Called gamification, many traditional mobile apps -- especially those geared toward the enterprise space -- are beginning to mirror many of the characteristics of the games, such as badges and leadership boards, that have been popular on mobile platforms for years.

Internal and independent app developers are taking this approach as a way to improve their creations. It's no secret that nearly all mobile users have played a game at some point, and developers are looking to leverage that.

The thinking is that employees and users in general will be more apt to access and use a mobile app if it features a fun and user-friendly interface. When employees want to use their mobile applications, they are also more likely to be productive while working away from the office, which is the main goal of enterprise mobility in the first place.